Since there has been no updates for XAMPP lately, I upgraded my XAMPP 1.7.3 's PHP installation to version 5.3.1 with following features:

Extensions: php-imagick 2.3.0php-memcache 2.2.5ioncube loader 3.3.18

Since Zend Optimizer discontinued and PHP 5.3 only has Zend Guard Loader for non-ts version only, I have been unable to install Zend Guard Loader. But I included it in my archive and added related php.ini lines.

Yea, but for some bloody reason I couldn't get those extensions work on XAMPP's PHP 5.3.1 - maybe build was different or something like that.

Can I also suggest you include two versions of latest PHP in the upcoming XAMPP - one x86 version and other x64? Or better, include all PHP variations of the same version: x86, x64 both compiled by VC6 and VC9. In past we had PHP4 and PHP5 which could be switched just by altering configuration files on Apache, something like that could be put in place this time too... Oh and please don't forget to include php-memcache and imagick extensions + ioncube loaders, they are VERY important nowadays...

Shehi wrote:Can I also suggest you include two versions of latest PHP in the upcoming XAMPP - one x86 version and other x64?

I don't think so.There is neither an official 64Bit release for Apache nor for PHP.

Shehi wrote:Or better, include all PHP variations of the same version: x86, x64 both compiled by VC6 and VC9.

VC9 is incompatible to Apache httpd. You just need VC9 PHP if you want to use this with IIS.

Shehi wrote:In past we had PHP4 and PHP5 which could be switched just by altering configuration files on Apache, something like that could be put in place this time too...

It is much easier to include two different PHP Major releases of the same type than to include x86 and x64 in the same package (if it yould be possible at all).Remember that all of this had to run on 4 different platforms so all of the work had to be done twice (especially testing, bug tracking and debugging will take much longer than before).

Shehi wrote:Oh and please don't forget to include php-memcache and imagick extensions + ioncube loaders, they are VERY important nowadays...

This can be a feature request. But IMHO they are not VERY important for most of the XAMPP users. It is very difficult to find an up to date windows binary release for memcached, too.

We don't provide any support via personal channels like PM, email, Skype, TeamViewer!

Check the file uploaded, it is PHP 5.3.x after all, so extensions mostly should work.

And about the usefulness of extensions: Who uses all of them any way?! I am open-source CMS developer, and I am not even utilizing half of those extensions that come packaged with official release. I firmly believe it's only a matter of perspective.

EDIT 1: And yes, you are right about including different architectures of PHP... It will take a lot longer to test them, and by the time you release it, PHP will have newer version Additionally, that's true - PHP x64 most probably won't work with Apache x86 as a module [and maybe also in CLI/CGI mode, but it's only maybe, have to make sure], so it''s not worth it...

EDIT 2: Oh btw, by Memcached extension, I meant php-memcache, not php-memcached. Although php-memcached is much superior to the other one, it's not supported in Windows environment, since it specifically utilizes libmemcached component of *nix systems. That's why you will have to put php-memcache in Windows packaging. Together with Membase server community edition, they can do a miracle - one step closer to Linux environment development. And of course, you can include BOTH memcached extensions in Linux packaging of XAMPP. They are very easy to find, as you know Man, I love Linux...